Sunshine Coast man avoids jail time after abusing 12yo girl
A Sunshine Coast man will serve no time in custody after abusing a child, with the victim’s mother saying her daughter will ‘never be the same child again’.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Sunshine Coast man has escaped jail time after abusing a 12-year-old girl as well as exchanging nude photographs.
Maroochydore District Court was told that between March and April 2021, the Sunshine Coast man had become close with the girl after she showed romantic interest.
Richard John Strano jailed for groping child girl at Coles in Buddina
Crown prosecutor Joana Dias said in the months that followed the defendant and the child engaged in consensual sexual offending which included sending nudes, sexual acts and intercourse.
Ms Dias said the relationship was discovered after the girl’s parents saw explicit texts from the man to the child.
The parents reported it to police and sparked an investigation with the man making frank admissions to officers during an interview.
When police combed through his phone, they found child exploitation material of the girl which she had sent him.
Ms Dias said labelled the offending as “serious” with the incident leaving a lasting effect on the child and her mum.
“I don’t think she’ll ever be the same child again,” the mother said in her victim impact statement.
“I forgive (the man) but I cannot ever forget what has happened.”
Defence barrister Scott Lynch told the court his client did not initiate the contact and said the Sunshine Coast man was also reeling from the passing of a relative from illness.
Judge Glen Cash said it was an exceptional case and took into account how the man revealed his conduct to police during an interview and how it was “not in the worst category of offending”.
He also factored in the man’s mental health which medical submissions say were a contributing factor to his poor decision making by “going along” with the victim.
Judge Cash clarified the court was not blaming the victim but the law existed to protect her from her own decisions due to her young age.
The man pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent treatment of a child, possessing child exploitation material and carnal knowledge of a child under 16.
He was sentenced to two years’ probation with no conviction recorded.
Student accused of having ‘knives, hit list’ and making kill threats
Police are patrolling a Sunshine Coast high school after a bathroom wall graffiti message threatening to stab students was uncovered, with claims the student also had knives and a hit list at school.
Former music store owner guilty of child abuse for second time
Emotions ran high in a Sunshine Coast courtroom as a former businessman was found guilty for the second time of historical child abuse charges after appealing his initial conviction.